The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-05-19
ENGLISH TRADES UNIONS.
Some Powerful. Wealthy and LongEstab-
lished workmen's Societies.

some Powerful. Wealthy and Long-Estab-
lished workmen's Societies.
By order of the House of Commons
Messrs. Hansard have just printed an
appendix to the returns of the Chief
Registrar of Friendly Societies for the
year ending December 81, 1885, giving
a list of registered trades unions in the
United Kingdom, with the date of their
establishment. and, in some cases, par
ticulars of their funds, incomes and
membership.
From this it appears that the oldest
of all trades unions in the Kingdom is
the Steam Engine Makers Society, Man
chester, which was established on No
vember 2, 1924, and has now Flo, 435
accumulated funds and a membership
of 5,062. The union possessing the
largest fund of those which have sent
in returns Though it must be remem-
bered that several of the largest socie-
ties, such, for example: as the Anal
gamated Society of Engineers. have
given no particulars of their finances)
is the Amalgamated Society of Carpen-
tiers and Joiners, with headquarters at
Manchester. The funds of this organi-
cation are stated at f5O,S51; annual
income, f63, l22, and membership, 25,-
ISL. 1t is, however, closely pressed by
the Amalgamated Society of Railway
servants of England, Ireland, Scotland
and Wales, whose headquarters are in
the City Road, London. The funds of
this society are stated at ESQ, 7S9, with
an annual income of "a, 375, and 60. O54
members.
The largest annual income-f70,7 03
is claimed by the United Society of
Boiler-makers and Iron Ship-builderS of
Newcastle-on-Tyne, with 1855 MEM
bers and accumulated funds amounting
to 93S, 317. The Durham Miners As
ISOLATION appears to be, so far as the
returns show, numerically the strong
est union in the Kingdom, having 3d.
600 members, with an income of f46,-
153, and funds amounting to e35, 1898.
Some of the titles of these societies
show the extensive ramifcatiOns of
trades unionism. That there is Ware
housemen's Philanthropic Society in
Bradford should occasion no surprise,
but the same town boasts of a Stuff
Makers-up PrOvident Society. with con-
siderable funds, and an income of more
than G1,000 a year. The card-setting
machine tenters. drillers and cutters ''of
the River Wear" Dutch yeast import
erS. trimmers and teemerS, crabbers
and singers, silk-ballers, potters' mold
makers, boot-top cutters, hammer-men,
tin canister makers, carriage straight
eners, tape-sizers, clippers and drillers.
brass-cock finishers, the amalgamated
chimney-sweeps. the amicable wool
staplers, and the rundlet coopers-all
these and many more have separate
trade organizations of their own fol
mutual protection.
Women, too. have learned the utility
of combination, as may be gathered
from the titles of the Westminster and
Pimlico Branch of the London Tailor
esses' Trade Union, and the ROchdale
Male and Female Card and Blowing
Room Operatives Association. In Sun
derland there is a Shipyard Helpers
Association, and Birkenhead possesses
the distinction of being the head-quar-
tiers of the United Society of Holders-up
of Great Britain and Ireland, which has
81 members, an annual income of
f355, and 9275 funded. - London
Standard.